This girlchild was born as usual
and presented dolls that did pee-pee
and miniature GE stoves and irons
and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.
Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:
You have a great big nose and fat legs.

She was healthy, tested intelligent,
possessed strong arms and back,
abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity.
She went to and fro apologizing.
Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.

She was advised to play coy,
exhorted to come on hearty,
exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.
Her good nature wore out
like a fan belt.
So she cut off her nose and her legs
and offered them up.

In the casket displayed on satin she lay
with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on,
a turned-up putty nose,
dressed in a pink and white nightie.
Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said.
Consummation at last.
To every woman a happy ending.

The poem, Barbie Doll by Marg Piercy, tells the story of a young girl who goes through life hating herself due to her physical appearance. From the moment she is born, this girl is exposed to the expectations of society and goes through life encountering the harsh realities of not meeting those expectations. The need to live up to the world idea of beauty fuels years of severe self scrutiny that tears down any and all of her self confidence- preventing her from loving any part of herself.